Endometriosis left author Sophie Richards a shadow of her former self and scared of everyday life – now she’s fighting for change
I have endometriosis and my journey has been excruciating, debilitating and humiliating. I’m talking about it because I don’t want any other women to go through what I have.
At times, this battle has brought me to a really dark place where I felt as though I couldn’t trust myself, my body or the people around me. My body was reacting to everything, even healthy food, through a never-ending cycle of flare-up after flare-up.
I became very fearful of everyday life, including little things like leaving the house or visiting friends. Even mealtimes became stressful. The grasp this had on my life was too much. I was a regular at my doctor’s surgery, begging, asking, what felt like screaming for help.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
Time after time, I received the same feedback from doctors: painful periods were ‘normal’, some people are just ‘unlucky’. I was even told my symptoms were psychosomatic, which, after a while, I almost started to believe. After all, the doctors are the experts, right?
Even if this was all in my head, it didn’t explain the extremely heavy and long periods I was experiencing. Surely a normal period doesn’t involve flooding tampons and pads for almost half of the month? Something wasn’t adding up, and after a frustrating five-year battle, I was finally diagnosed with endometriosis.
When the doctors confirmed that what I was experiencing was endometriosis, I felt conflicted. Part of me felt relieved to have the diagnosis. On the other hand, I felt like I was celebrating finally being believed by doctors, which just didn’t sit right with me.
Receiving my diagnosis was just the beginning of the journey, though. Years later, I met an endometriosis specialist and, for the first time, I felt truly understood. The specialist immediately recognised my symptoms and helped put me on the right path towards treatment. During that conversation, they told me I had previously undergone the wrong surgery – and would need another operation because the first one hadn’t been done correctly.
I was outraged. I felt completely dismissed once again, and furious that I had only received this information because I paid privately to see a specialist rather than relying on regular gynaecology appointments.
I knew it was too late to undo some of the damage that had been done, but if I could spread the valuable information I had gained from experts, as well as my own research as a women’s health practitioner, maybe I could stop someone else’s journey from being as difficult as mine has been.
Since starting my page @sophie.richards on Instagram and TikTok, as well as the Finally Found podcast, I have received countless messages from people saying they had been given the same advice I had, only to later see a specialist who finally supported them in the right way.
It’s been a long, heartbreaking journey, and one I am still on, as I recognise that comes with the territory of living with a chronic health condition. However, I’m grateful to have found ways to ease my pain through anti-inflammatory living. It has changed not only my life, but also the lives of thousands of women who have followed similar approaches to help with inflammation, PCOS, endometriosis symptoms and more.
Two things remain a problem in my eyes – and I believe they can be fixed through education, hard work and support. First, we must change the way we educate children about the menstrual cycle. Secondly, we need to better support women in the workplace.
Through my women’s health brand, Found, I am making it my mission to create educational programmes for schools and workplaces that set the record straight and help move people from feeling confused and isolated to confident and supported.
Having endometriosis almost ruined my life. But in many ways, it also gave it purpose. I’m grateful to be on this journey and to be able to support others who are struggling right now, too.
If that’s you, know that you are not alone. Connect with us at The Finally Found podcast and @found.womenshealth.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
